A Literature Review on New Robotics: Automation from Love to War

Question 1

Two Engineering Ambitions in Robotics

Answer 1

autonomous movement in complex environments

machines with social behavior and moral decision-making abilities

Question 2

Strong AI view

Answer 2

it is possible to create artificial intelligence systems that possess human-like cognitive abilities and consciousness, capable of understanding, learning, and experiencing the world similarly to humans

Question 3

Five application domains for robotics

Answer 3

Home
Healthcare
Traffic
Police
Army

Question 4

Three Questions Asked for Each Domain

Answer 4

What is possible currently in terms of new robotic technologies and what is expected to become possible in the medium and long terms?

What ethical questions do the new robotics raise in the shorter and longer terms?

What regulatory issues are raised by these ethical issues? In other words, what points should be publicly discussed or put on the agenda by politicians and policymakers?

Question 5

Types of Home Robots

Answer 5

Household robots
Amusement robots

Question 6

Household robots

Answer 6

significant gaps in between expectations and current and future capabilities

most are one trick ponies, and require optimal environments

not many changes expected to take place in short or medium term

Question 7

Amusement robots

Answer 7

can focus on communication, play, relaxation, etc.

have been more succesful in meeting expectations

are often anthropomorphised

limitations in capabilities, predictable

Question 8

Ethical and Regulatory Issues regarding Home Robots

Answer 8

rely on anthropomorphism, which may lead to users developing feelings towards the robots

influence on children, elders, or mentally incapacitated people could be negative

may deceive users by imitating emotions or human actions

could worsen people’s social skills

sex robots could impact fidelity and morality, as well as slavery, prostitution, human trafficking, etc.

child-sex robots are a concern

Question 9

Expectations for carebots

Answer 9

ageing population so potential staffing shortages in long-term care

high expectations for care robots to lower workload of caregivers by assisting them (not replacing them)

could help with tele-monitoring, communication with healthcare professionals and uploading medical data to online servers for caregivers to analyse

Question 10

Carebot Ethical Issues

Answer 10

care should involve deep concern for an individual’s well being, whilst robots focus on tasks and data and may thus lack essential qualities such as empathy and warmth

developers of social robots may overlook the desires and requirements of both caregivers and recipients during the design process

carebots collect data from the users and this data must be stored and managed safely to ensure privacy is maintained

human caregivers being replaced by robots creates a risk of dehumanising care and objectifying care receipients

caregivers may require training in order to work effectively with carebots, and carebots may also lead to the skills of caregivers decreasing

Question 11

value-sensitive design

Answer 11

an approach to the development of technology and systems that takes into consideration ethical and social values to ensure that the resulting products or technologies align with human values and principles

Question 12

Expectations for Robot Cars

Answer 12

a shift towards autonomous driving technology is expected with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems being increasingly integrated into vehicles

these systems are expected to take corrective actions like guiding the car back into the correct lane and offer advice and warnings to drivers

both comfort and safety features are expected to be developed

vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication systems are also in work

both countries and firms are expected to invest an increasing amount of capital into developing autonomous vehicles

Question 12

Military Robots Expectations

Answer 12

there already exist numerous military robots such as ground bots and drones, and these have revolutionised contemporary military operations

autonomous weapons are the next step, expected to be deployed by around 2050

Question 12

Ethical and Regulatory Issues regarding Robot Cars

Answer 12

many drivers are still hesistant to accept these autonomous vehicles

widespread use of these vehicles may lead to people’s driving skils deteriorating and dangerous situations thus arising when the car does not respond autonomously

there are still many years left before autonomous cars will truly be as efficient in driving as they are expected to be

armed police robots face a lot of criticism since they offer robots the ability to hurt humans

Question 13

Ethical and Regulatory Issues of Military Robots

Answer 13

are likely to be far more efficient than human soliders

once advanced military robots are developed, there is a high chance that most countries will acquire the technology, which could be a serious problem considering the existence of countries such as North Korea and Russia; moreover, terrorist organisations may use the weapons to their advantage

military robots are also vulnerable to hacking and computer viruses, which may lead to the sharing of confidential data or the robots being used against their owners

targeted killing using robots is seen by many as unethical and using such strategies may help the opposition make claims about possessing the moral high ground

use of military robots has also been shown to lead to higher number of civilian casualties, which can do nothing but harm a country’s war effort

it is unclear who will be held responsible for war crimes committed through the use of military robots, as there will be a moral buffer created between human operators and their actions

Question 14

Man in-the-loop to man on-the-loop to man out-of-the-loop

Answer 14

“Man in-the-loop” refers to a human actively controlling a system, “man on-the-loop” involves human supervision and intervention as needed, and “man out-of-the-loop” implies automation with humans having little to no direct involvement, representing a spectrum of human-system interaction in technology and decision-making.

Question 15

Rationalisation through Robotics

Answer 15

the process of making a social or organizational practice more systematic, efficient, and logical through the integration of robotics and automation, which leads to a reduction in the reliance on human involvement

offers various advantages such as increased efficiency, reduced errors, cost savings, and improved service quality.

Question 16

Dehumanisation

Answer 16

when the rationalization brought about by robotics overshoots its intended purpose, potentially leading to socio-technical systems that devalue or harm human beings

Question 17

Hard vs Soft Tasks

Answer 17

Robotics can contribute to the functional, hard side of practices, but it should not overshadow the softer, more human aspects.

Question 18

Technological paternalism

Answer 18

a situation in which technology or those who design and control technology make decisions or impose choices on individuals without their informed consent, often with the belief that it is for the individuals’ own benefit or well-being

Question 19

Conclusion

Answer 19

The introduction of new robotics presents a significant human challenge, and it’s crucial to approach opportunities while addressing the social, legal, and ethical aspects associated with these technologies

Trust in technological capabilities is essential, but trust in humans, with their abilities and imperfections, should remain at the forefront of our actions

The decisive position that people should hold in the control hierarchy is a central question. Robotics should primarily play a supporting role, and its existence should serve society, not dominate it.